Tongue-depressor



L. D. JACOBY.

TONGUE DEPRESSORL APPLICATION FILED JAN- 25. 1918.

1,396,933, 1 PatentedNov.15,1921.

. 1 fig INvENrm i @QIEM Ahys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO DUNBAR JACOBY, 0F WINTER/OP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SANITARY. PRODUCTS.CORPORATION OF AMERICA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

TONGUE-DEPRESSOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 25, 1918. Serial No. 213,707.

of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin drawin s.

y Vhena p ysician is examining the throat of a patient, itis necessary to have some sort of a device b which he can depress or otherwise manipulate the tongue of the patient in order to make a proper examination,

as the tongue frequentl obstructs the clear view of the throat. if 1e tunder the patients own control. Sometimes the physician uses for this purpose the handle of a silver spoon or some other metallic instrument or device. When, however, such device is employed it is necessarythat it should be sterilized not .only before use, but after use. In the case of a throat specialist who is constantly examining one patient after another, this re- .quirement for sterilization makes considerabletrouble and if the same implement is used fordepressing the tongue of one patient after another, it is very necessary that this sterilization should be absolutely perfect as the throat is especially sensitive to infection. Moreover the use of metal is open to objection. The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cheap tongue depressor which shall be sufiiciently cheap so that the physician can afford to employ a fresh device for every separate patient and discard it after a single use thus avoiding not only the danger of infectin one patient from another, but also avoi in the bother of sterilizing the device after it has been used.

My invention consists in providing a de' vice of suitable form out of vulcanized or hard fiber, preferably paper, and in order to give it sufficient strength and stiffness so that it will not break or bend in use and yet be made of thin sheet form, I construct it with certain strengthening rib or flange portions as will be hereinafter described.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and,the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

,of the inclined sides 2, 2.

face of tlns end portion 41 forms the engag- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device embodying the invention. a Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section online 3-3 of the device shown in F i 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitu inal central section of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line '5-5 of F i 1.

Tteferring now to the drawings the device has a flat orsubstantially flat main body portion 1 which extends lengthwise of the.

device and forms the median portion thereof. This base portion 1 is embordered on its two opposite sides with the upwardly inclined side portions 2, 2 each of which terminates in a laterally extending flange portion 3. The base portion 1 toward its end merges into an upwardly inclined longitudinally extending portion 1 the under side of whichis smooth and preferably is curved longitudinally at its merger with the bottom of the base 1 as shown in Figs. 2 and 41 so as to avoid any angular effect. Preferably also it is curved transversely as shown in Fig. 5. Preferably the inclined end portion 4.- does'not rise quite as high as the top The under suring surface which is to contact with the tongue in the use of the device. Preferably the two opposite ends are made alike so that either end of the device may be used for the tongue contact while the other end is used as a handle.

In plan view the ends are on a curve as shown at 5, 5 here also avoiding any sharp corner where the curved end merges with the straight side edges of the flanges 3,

The upwardly inclined sides 2, 2 and the laterally extending flanges 3, 3 make the device suliiciently strong and rigid for the purpose to which it is to be used even though it is quite thin. The device may be made by molding it to proper shape out of a blank of sheet fiber while in a softened state. Preferably the flanges 3 extend only along the sides and not around the ends as it is desired to present only a smooth surface to the tongue where it contacts therewith. Preferably the contact surface 4 is curved convexly in cross section as shown in Fig. 5.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921. y

It will be seen from the drawings that the tOngue engaging portion of the depressor at the end is convexly curved longitudinally on its underside, as will be plainly seen from Figs. 2 and 4:. It is also curved in cross sectional contour, as shown by Fig. 5, and it is curved transversely of the end in plan view as shown in Fig. 1. Thus all parts of the tongue engaging portion are curved so that there are no angular portions whatever pressing upon the tongue. If the device is pressed down with some force against the tongue so as to form a curvature in the tongue under the pressure, the convex engaging portion of the depressor will be adapted to fit in such depression in the tongue.

What I claim is:

l. A tongue depressor for use in throat examination, composed of an integral sheet having a central longitudinal fiat base portion which extends for the greater part of the length of the article, upwardly inclined side portions merging from said base portion, laterally extending; outwardly curved side flanges extending in continuation of said upwardly inclined sides, said base portion terminating at each end in an upwardly curved portion-of less height than the side portions and which merges on a curve into said upwardly inclined and outwardly curved flange side portions, the end portion being convex in plan view, the tongue engaging surface near the end being convex both longitudinally and transversely.

2. A tongue depressor for use in throat examination, composed of an integral sheet having a central longitudinal fiat base portion which extends for the greater part of the length of; the article, upwardly inclined side portions merging from said base porcurved portion of less height than the side portions and which merges on a curve into said upwardly inclined and outwardly curved flange side portions, the end portion being convex in plan view, the two end portions being alike, so that either end may be used in exactly the same manner and with the same effect as the other end, the tongue engaging surface near the end being convex both longitudinally and transversely.

3. A tongue depressor for use in throat examination, composed of an integral sheet having a central longitudinal flat base portion which extends for the greater part of: the length of the article, upwardly inclined side portions merging from said base portion, laterally extending out 'ardly curved side flanges extending in continuation of said upwardly inclined sides, said base portion terminating at each end in an upwardly curved portion of less height than the side portions and which merges on a curve into said upwardly inclined and outwardly curved flange side portions, the end portion being convex in plan view, the two end portions being alike, so that either end may be used in exactly the same manner and with the same eifect as the other end, said device being of uniform width from one end to the other except for the convex end portions, the tongue engaging surface near each end being convex both longitudinally and transversely.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEO DUN BAR JACOBY. 

